13KBW

Christopher Mann

Date of Call 1998

Email cmann@13kbw.co.uk

 

EXPERTISE 

Chancery/Commercial
Property
Professional Negligence
Employment
Personal Injury

 

QUALIFICATIONS 

1996     BA (Hons) in Modern History, Magdalen College, Oxford.  First class in finals and moderations.

1997     CPE Diploma in Law (City University).

1998     Bar Vocational Course: Inns of Court School of Law: graded very competent. 

 

PROFILE 

Christopher specialises in the chancery/commercial, property and professional negligence fields as well as being instructed in a broader range of common law litigation, including employment and personal injury.  He has a busy court practice ranging from frequent appearances at trials and interlocutory applications in the TCC, Queen’s Bench and Chancery Divisions to contested multi-track trials and applications in the County Court; before Employment Tribunals and in the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal/Lands Tribunal.  Much of Christopher’s work is advisory (often in respect of quite technical matters of law), both in writing and in conference.  As well as preparing court documents, Christopher is also routinely involved in non-contentious drafting.  He regularly appears at mediations/round table conferences and acts in conjunction with multi-disciplinary teams including experts.  He is instructed by a large range of solicitors from city firms to regional High Street firms and from large companies to individuals.  He is willing to accept work on a CFA basis.

 

Chancery/Commercial 
Christopher has a considerable chancery/commercial practice which includes insolvency and contractual matters.  He appears in court and drafts pleadings in partnership disputes and matters arising from the collapse of companies and joint venture agreements.  He is frequently instructed in cases involving obtaining interim remedies, including freezing orders.  In insolvency, he acts for individuals, trustees and liquidators and has wide experience of winding-up/validation/bankruptcy/annulment proceedings and actions on behalf of liquidators seeking to obtain funds from former directors.  Christopher has given advice and defended directors facing disqualification.  He has experience in civil and commercial fraud and asset freezing; trusts; wills and probate (including trustees’ duties and Inheritance Act claims); conflict of laws and equitable claims (both proprietary and personal).

 

Property
Christopher has extensive experience in this area.  In the real property field, he is frequently instructed in adverse possession, boundary, land registration and conveyancing disputes, particularly concerning easements/rights of way and restrictive covenants.  He is often instructed in commercial and residential property disputes (dilapidations’ claims; possession proceedings; actions for specific performance/breach of covenant and forfeiture).  Christopher is also knowledgeable in the work of the LVT including block management/enfranchisement and service charges.

 

Professional Negligence
In early practice, Christopher acted in matters relating to clinical negligence but his professional negligence practice now principally concerns negligence in the field of commercial and property work.  He regularly acts in claims for and against solicitors, financial advisers, accountants, insurance brokers, surveyors and valuers.

 

Employment
Christopher acts for and against employers in all areas of employment law, particularly unfair dismissal; sex, race, age and disability discrimination; harassment; restrictive covenants; directors’ duties; contractual claims; transfer of undertakings and quantification of loss.

 

Personal Injury
Christopher has an established personal injury practice and has regularly acted for both Claimants and Defendant insurers in fast-track and multi-track personal injury and stress at work cases as well as  providing representation at inquests/CICA and in clinical negligence matters. 

 

Interesting cases

  • Cada Design Group Limited v Magazini Familia Eood (QBD) (Dec 2009) (HQ0X02023)-successful claim for damages against a Bulgarian company; conflict of laws/English/Bulgarian company/restitution law.
  • Ascham Homes v All Leaseholders in the LB Waltham Forest (Lands Tribunal) (President George Bartlett QC) (2009) (LT LRX/8/2009); successful resistance on behalf of lessees to application by Ascham Homes, represented by leading counsel, for permission to appeal; consideration of the extent of the Tribunal’s implied jurisdiction to review a decision to refuse permission to appeal (also appeared at first instance before the LVT  when successfully resisted Ascham’s attempt to have validated its non-compliance with service charge notification requirements for large scale works) (LON/00BH/LDC/2007/0065).
  • Scarsbrook v. LBWF – (East London ET) (2008) 8 day tribunal – successful defence by Council to unfair dismissal/protected disclosure claim.
  • Jafferali v. Jafferali (Central London Chancery List) (2007-2008): mortgage dispute/undue influence.
  • O’Sullivan v. O’Sullivan (Chancery Division) (2006) – validity of a cheque.
  • Alts Limited v. Ridgeway Motors (Isleworth) Limited [2005] 1 WLR 2871 [2005] EWCA Civ 92 – (Court of Appeal) – whether a bankruptcy/winding up petition statute barred by s.24 of the Limitation Act 1980 after 6 years (with Jeremy Callman).
  • Alts Limited v. Ridgeway Motors (Isleworth) Limited (No. 2) (Chancery Division) (2005) – case involving adverse possession issues and removal of the CPR automatic stay.
  • Lexi Holdings Plc v. Pandora Deborah Karen Maxwell (Oxford County Court) (2005) – possession proceedings in respect of Moulsford Manor, Oxfordshire, which attracted considerable national press coverage.
  • Philipps v. Forte (QBD and Central London Chancery List) (2003-2004): forfeiture/service charge dispute.
  • SIF v. David & Elaine Dunphy (QBD) (Oxford District Registry) (2002-2003) – successful resistance, acting for SIF, to an attempt to seek to avoid recovery of a mortgage shortfall by an alleged release of a guarantor.
  • Salako Agents Limited v. Aerometals BV & others (QBD) (Commercial Court) – (Claim No. 2001 Folio 963) (2002)– high value property development claim including misrepresentation issues – with Roger Ellis QC (leader) and Gabriel Buttimore (first junior).
  • Operation Present – conducted well over 300 immigration cases on behalf of the Treasury Solicitor/Home Office (2000-2004): considerable ventilation of Human Rights arguments.

 

Recent sample work

  • Ongoing case in the Chancery Division – undue influence/non est factum in relation to a deed of transfer/conflict of laws and probate (US probate proceedings concurrent).
  • Proceedings in the Queen’s Bench Division for an injunction to restrain an alleged breach of a motor distributorship agreement overseas.
  • Defending an action in the TCC on behalf of a contractor to an employer’s claim for damages for defects and liquidated damages.
  • Proceedings in the Manchester County Court relating to a claim of delay in regard to the supply of machinery (liability compromised at liability trial in late 2008-quantum trial settled in late 2009).
  • Partnership dispute in the Chancery Division – re-opening of a previous accountant’s expert determination.
  • Advisory work to a large public sector organisation relating to the Icelandic Bank collapse.
  • Several ongoing costs cases in the Queen’s Bench Division/Senior Courts Costs Office.
  • Advice and drafting in relation to a potential claim for damages for delay in reinstatement of business premises following earthquake damage.
  • Shashi Kirran Gossain v. Royal  Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (HHJ Marshall QC) Feb 2009 - Central London County Court (Chancery List): 1954 Act limit for renewal of a business tenancy expired and attempt to rely on estoppel/waiver –  unsuccessful but submissions described as “energetic and skilful.” by the Judge.

 

MEMBERSHIPS 

TECBAR

PIBA

PNBA

 

AWARDS/SCHOLARSHIPS

  • Demy (Full Scholar) of Magdalen College, Oxford.
  • Lincoln’s Inn CPE Bursary.
  • Lincoln’s Inn Hardwicke Entrance Scholarship.
  • Lincoln’s Inn Sunley Scholarship.

 

APPOINTMENTS

Judicial Assistant to the Court of Appeal (attached to Otton and Buxton LJJ) January – May 2000.  Involvement in research and preparation of memoranda/briefing notes to Judges of the Court of Appeal (Civil Division) regarding a number of high profile and legally complex cases.

 

SEMINARS 

Regular provider of CPD-accredited talks and contributor to Chambers’ newsletters.  Past topics have included age discrimination; the role of experts; rent reviews and preferences/transactions at an under-value.

 

LANGUAGES

Proficient French and Russian: some Italian.

 

INTERESTS

Music; opera; theatre; cricket; chess; travel.